Avnet, Inc.
A global distributor of electronic components, Avnet supplies the semiconductors and interconnects that go into everything from cars to computers, serving both big manufacturers and hobbyist engineers through its Farnell e-commerce arm. It began in 1921 when Russian immigrant Charles Avnet opened a surplus-radio-parts shop on New York's "Radio Row," and it still bears his name. Fun fact: Avnet and RadioShack both trace their roots to 1921 and the early amateur-radio boom.